guarding his back.
“Mind ye,” Lye Rob said, “I’m glad to see ye. Wedding a widow is simpler than proving
her marriage to ye is unconsummated.” He pulled a dirk from the top of his boot. “It
will save me the trouble of making sure someone sees me fucking her.”
Her eyes rounded with horror. “Ye toad!”
The calculating glow in his eyes burned brightly. He tossed the knife from hand to
hand as he closed the distance between himself and Bhaic.
“Get to yer father’s side, Ailis,” Bhaic said.
“But—”
“Now,” he ordered sternly.
He was a man accustomed to being obeyed. She backed up, but stopped when she realized
they were surrounded by Gordon retainers. More had closed in behind them while Lye
Rob distracted them. She bent down and picked up a branch—a thick, heavy one—and gripped
it as if it were a club.
Lye Rob laughed, looking past Bhaic at her. “Do ye think ye can hurt me?”
Ailis didn’t get the chance to reply. Bhaic took advantage of Lye Rob’s inattention
and charged. Bhaic had his arms open wide and got them around Lye Rob’s chest. He
surged up, lifting the other man off his feet, and twisted around to drop him on the
ground.
Lye Rob snarled, but Bhaic had his arms locked around his throat. His arms bulged
as a muscle on the side of his jaw twitched. Lye Rob thrashed, desperately trying
to gain enough leverage to upset Bhaic.
The Gordon retainer near them lifted his arm to join the fight. Ailis never really
decided what she was going to do, but she leaped forward, the branch lifted over her
head. She brought it down on the retainer’s raised arm. The shock shook her bones
and made her elbows ache, but she carried through with the blow.
The retainer yelled, his scream startling several birds above them.
“Not man enough to take me on yer own, Lye Rob?” Bhaic swung him away but pulled the
knife from his hand. “Ye’re a coward, and yer men lack honor.”
Ailis moved in a circle, two burly retainers stalking her. They had their arms stretched
out wide, their stances low. She had to keep shifting her gaze from one to the other
to keep the branch aimed at them.
“Kill Bhaic MacPherson, and the prize is ours, lads!” Lye Rob yelled as he lunged
toward Bhaic.
The retainers made a grab for her, but she swung the branch in a wide arc and hit
one of them on the side of the face. He twisted around and landed on the forest floor
in an unconscious heap.
Lye Rob let out a hoarse cry, and she turned to see him cradling his arm. His wrist
was bent at an odd angle, clearly broken.
“Now this is an interesting scene.” Symon Grant appeared beside her. He lifted one
foot and kicked the retainer still threatening her in the groin. “I almost do nae
have the heart to interrupt. It seems fitting to have Gordon cowards brought low by
a woman.”
The woods were suddenly full of men. Symon’s retainers and Bhaic’s came through the
forest, their expressions deadly.
Lye Rob turned and ran, his kilt bouncing until he was hidden from sight by the trees.
His men followed, and Bhaic grabbed the branch Ailis was still holding in front of
her. He tossed it aside and pulled her against his body.
“Ye could have screamed, lass, but I admit, I think I enjoyed yer response more.”
He pressed a hard kiss against her mouth to the delight of his men.
“Come, me lads, it’s time to head for home. I have a bride to settle.”
He clasped her wrist and pulled her along behind him. Her feet felt clumsy, but the
weight of his men’s stares were on her. Lye Rob was right about the peace being a
fragile one. She forced a smile onto her lips and picked up her feet so Bhaic wasn’t
dragging her.
It was obviously the last May Day where she’d be wearing her hair down. Her gaze settled
on the wide expanse of Bhaic’s shoulders and then down to where his fingers closed
all the way around her wrist.
God help her.
* * *
“Me
“Mind ye,” Lye Rob said, “I’m glad to see ye. Wedding a widow is simpler than proving
her marriage to ye is unconsummated.” He pulled a dirk from the top of his boot. “It
will save me the trouble of making sure someone sees me fucking her.”
Her eyes rounded with horror. “Ye toad!”
The calculating glow in his eyes burned brightly. He tossed the knife from hand to
hand as he closed the distance between himself and Bhaic.
“Get to yer father’s side, Ailis,” Bhaic said.
“But—”
“Now,” he ordered sternly.
He was a man accustomed to being obeyed. She backed up, but stopped when she realized
they were surrounded by Gordon retainers. More had closed in behind them while Lye
Rob distracted them. She bent down and picked up a branch—a thick, heavy one—and gripped
it as if it were a club.
Lye Rob laughed, looking past Bhaic at her. “Do ye think ye can hurt me?”
Ailis didn’t get the chance to reply. Bhaic took advantage of Lye Rob’s inattention
and charged. Bhaic had his arms open wide and got them around Lye Rob’s chest. He
surged up, lifting the other man off his feet, and twisted around to drop him on the
ground.
Lye Rob snarled, but Bhaic had his arms locked around his throat. His arms bulged
as a muscle on the side of his jaw twitched. Lye Rob thrashed, desperately trying
to gain enough leverage to upset Bhaic.
The Gordon retainer near them lifted his arm to join the fight. Ailis never really
decided what she was going to do, but she leaped forward, the branch lifted over her
head. She brought it down on the retainer’s raised arm. The shock shook her bones
and made her elbows ache, but she carried through with the blow.
The retainer yelled, his scream startling several birds above them.
“Not man enough to take me on yer own, Lye Rob?” Bhaic swung him away but pulled the
knife from his hand. “Ye’re a coward, and yer men lack honor.”
Ailis moved in a circle, two burly retainers stalking her. They had their arms stretched
out wide, their stances low. She had to keep shifting her gaze from one to the other
to keep the branch aimed at them.
“Kill Bhaic MacPherson, and the prize is ours, lads!” Lye Rob yelled as he lunged
toward Bhaic.
The retainers made a grab for her, but she swung the branch in a wide arc and hit
one of them on the side of the face. He twisted around and landed on the forest floor
in an unconscious heap.
Lye Rob let out a hoarse cry, and she turned to see him cradling his arm. His wrist
was bent at an odd angle, clearly broken.
“Now this is an interesting scene.” Symon Grant appeared beside her. He lifted one
foot and kicked the retainer still threatening her in the groin. “I almost do nae
have the heart to interrupt. It seems fitting to have Gordon cowards brought low by
a woman.”
The woods were suddenly full of men. Symon’s retainers and Bhaic’s came through the
forest, their expressions deadly.
Lye Rob turned and ran, his kilt bouncing until he was hidden from sight by the trees.
His men followed, and Bhaic grabbed the branch Ailis was still holding in front of
her. He tossed it aside and pulled her against his body.
“Ye could have screamed, lass, but I admit, I think I enjoyed yer response more.”
He pressed a hard kiss against her mouth to the delight of his men.
“Come, me lads, it’s time to head for home. I have a bride to settle.”
He clasped her wrist and pulled her along behind him. Her feet felt clumsy, but the
weight of his men’s stares were on her. Lye Rob was right about the peace being a
fragile one. She forced a smile onto her lips and picked up her feet so Bhaic wasn’t
dragging her.
It was obviously the last May Day where she’d be wearing her hair down. Her gaze settled
on the wide expanse of Bhaic’s shoulders and then down to where his fingers closed
all the way around her wrist.
God help her.
* * *
“Me
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